Some pests sting. Others spread disease. Others are simply gross. But the issue that seems to affect people the most throughout the year is itchy bites, which occur often in Northern Florida and can ruin our ability to enjoy the summers.
One of our goals as a Jacksonville pest control company is to reduce your risk of bug bites. But a challenge that homeowners sometimes face is not knowing what kind of bug bites they are. We are more than happy to come for an inspection and encourage you call the moment you have any unexplained bites.
Can I Tell the Bug From Its Bite?
Bug bites can differ. They can differ in size, shape, and location. Some bites may have little teeth marks. Others may have no clear entry point.
There are ways to tell bug bites apart. The itch that the pests cause is not always one of them. It's true that bed bug bites have been called almost painfully itchy, and it is possible that some pests' bites are itchier than others. But itch itself is subjective, and based on how your body reacts to the bite. There are some people that experience no itch at all after a bedbug bite, for example, but may still itch if a mosquito bites them.
That said, there are ways to tell if you're bitten by bedbugs rather than, say, mosquitoes or spiders. These include:
- Lines of Bites - Bedbugs love to bite in sets, rather than in one spot. This is known in the field as "breakfast, lunch, and dinner." If you see multiple bites in roughly a straight line, that is more likely to be a bedbug.
- Bedbugs almost exclusively bite at night. If you're waking up with bites and you didn’t see or hear a mosquito, a bed bug may be more likely.
- Bed bugs are happy to bite almost anywhere on the body, especially the stomach, neck, back, and areas that offer safety and convenience. If the bites are on the ankles or feet, it may be fleas or mosquitoes.
- There is usually no dot in the center of a bedbug bite. Spider bites have two dots, usually, while mosquitoes and fleas may have one.
It can be difficult to tell which pests are attacking based on their bite. We strongly recommend calling for an inspection. We can take a look for signs of bedbugs, and if we cannot find any, we can figure out what other potential pests they may be and provide solutions that keep them away.
Itch alone won't necessarily tell you what bit you. There are other signs you'll want to look for. But the most reliable way to know if you have bedbugs is to contact a bed bug inspection and control company in Jacksonville. Let our team at Bug Man Pest Service help.
